


A Night on Bahryn

by agoldengalaxy



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Episode: s02e17 The Honorable Ones, Kallus is touch starved lol, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Mutual Pining, episode expansion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24502087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agoldengalaxy/pseuds/agoldengalaxy
Summary: Zeb and Kallus reflect on how they definitely would have died without the other there. Maybe they don’t have to hate each other.
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Comments: 12
Kudos: 101
Collections: The Gay Awakens





	1. Garazeb Orrelios

**Author's Note:**

> I still cannot believe this episode exists. filoni really just gave us a fan fiction but yeah I expanded it bc we all love these idiots!
> 
> kudos/comments always appreciated!

“By the way, it’s Zeb. My name; it’s Zeb.”

Zeb wasn’t really sure why he’d decided to randomly say so. Maybe it was just the ridiculousness of the past hour. After all, he sat in a cave on a snowy moon with a man he once thought to be one of his greatest enemies, but...they’d had to rely on each other to survive. And that was why they would see the sun rise the next morning.

The corner of Kallus’ mouth twitched, just a little. “Short for Garazeb,” he replied, barely heard over the wind outside, “I know.”

The agent’s voice was as smooth as ever, but Zeb could detect some amusement; and this time, it wasn’t due to the infliction of pain or suffering.

Interesting.

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder how much Kallus really knew about him. Did he only know his name? That he was a rebel the Empire wanted to destroy?

Zeb shook the thought away. The less the Empire knew about him, the better. Still, he almost grinned at the thought of Kallus already knowing who he was.

He’d chalk it up to pride. Nothing else.

“So, you got a name, too? Or is it just ‘Agent’?” he asked, perhaps a little teasingly. Now that the danger had passed, they might as well attempt conversation. They were at a truce, after all.

Kallus looked up, eyebrows raising slightly, breath escaping in a shaky swirl towards the little meteorite. “Oh, ah, yes.” He looked slightly embarrassed. Zeb relished in it. How often would he get to make fun of an Imperial Officer? “It’s Alexsandr,” he replied finally, his eyes darting away. “But no one really calls me that.”

Zeb smirked. It was nice to see Kallus something other than...angry. “Mm, I can see why. Think I’ll stick with Kallus.”

To his surprise, Kallus chuckled lightly. “That is fine by me.” This was so much better than angry and intimidating. Zeb almost felt warm, despite the wind around them.

On the other hand, Kallus’ smile dropped as another shiver wracked his body. Zeb found himself feeling  _ bad _ for the guy. His chest hurt in a way it never had. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t like it.

“I was right, then,” Kallus murmured, teeth chattering a little, “It  _ is  _ getting colder.”

Zeb sighed softly. Humans were so much more fragile than Lasats; but then again, the Agent didn’t exactly have fur to protect him from the harsh cold of this moon. Still, they both needed the small amount of warmth from the meteorite.

Scooching over a little, he pressed his arm against Kallus’, looking away so he wouldn’t have to see the surprised - probably disgusted - look on the other’s face. “Sorry we don’t have much else to keep ya warm.”

To his surprise, Kallus didn’t pull away. “It isn’t your fault.” There was quiet for a few moments. Zeb wondered what Kallus was thinking; he found himself wanting to know more about him, about how he’d ended up in the Empire exactly. Kallus really wasn’t the monster he’d thought he was. 

With a small grin, he realized Kallus had stopped shivering.

The warm glow of the meteorite helped a little, even though it was small. It cast a gold light over Kallus’ features, and Zeb couldn’t help but stare for a few moments as the agent held his hands out towards it. His features looked less sharp now, perhaps a little more friendly; though Zeb wasn’t exactly sure what to do with this revelation, or why his chest still felt warm and his heart beat quickened.

As Kallus moved to fold his arms over his chest, Zeb looked away, clearing his throat. Luckily, it seemed the man hadn’t noticed.

“Thank you.”

Zeb was caught off guard, and he quickly looked back, meeting Kallus’ gold eyes. They were sincere - it almost threw him off again. “For what?”

Now it was Kallus’ turn to look away, and he shook his head with a slight smile as he stared at the meteorite. “I know how much you wanted to kill me about two hours ago,” he explained, hugging his arms closer to his chest, “and because of you, I’ll live to see another day.”

Zeb couldn’t believe his ears; now he was sure the  _ Ghost  _ crew wouldn’t believe him. He snorted. “Never in my life was I expecting to hear an Imperial thankin’ me.” But then he sobered as he met Kallus’ gaze again, still sincere. His heart thumped. “But ya shouldn’t be putting it all on me. I wouldn’t still be around without you, either.”

Kallus smirked, still staring at him, and Zeb felt nauseous for a moment. Yet again, he had no idea why. He decided that if he thought about it, he might not like the answer - so he didn’t think about it.

He did, however, notice how tired Kallus looked now - he supposed breaking a leg and escaping two hungry beasts in the freezing cold  _ would  _ tire a guy out. But he couldn’t help but wonder what it might be like, being a part of the Empire. Did they even get any breaks? He didn’t know, and he wasn’t sure if he should even ask.

They broke eye contact after staring way too long, each returning their gaze back to the meteorite in front of them. Kallus cleared his throat. Zeb rubbed the back of his neck.

“Ya know, I really thought you were gonna shoot me back there,” he said, breaking the silence, trying to lighten the mood (and maybe, hoping to hear another chuckle).

To his delight, Kallus let out another quiet chuckle, though it was a bit shaky. He pressed a little closer, and Zeb felt his cheeks heat despite the cold. “Oh, I certainly considered it. Many times, actually.”

Zeb scoffed. “Hm. Glad to know I wasn’t the only one,” he replied gruffly, though he hadn’t even for a moment. When he’d seen Kallus was hurt, he knew he couldn’t stoop so low. And it had paid off. “Maybe not all Imperials are so bad.”

Kallus smiled a little, and this time a comfortable silence fell over them.

Glancing at the transponder, Zeb wondered for a brief moment if what Kallus said was true; that the Empire might find them first. But he was sure he’d rather die than be taken to an Imperial prison. He wouldn’t want to betray his friends - his  _ family. _ Of course, he wouldn’t say that to Kallus. He didn’t want to appear weak.

Besides, he had nothing to worry about. Hera and the others would find them first. He was sure of it. They wouldn’t give up until they found him.

He snuck a glance at Kallus, but was surprised to see the agent’s eyes closed, his head slowly dipping downward, chin to chest, folded arms much looser than they had been a few minutes ago. If the ground wasn’t covered in snow, Zeb would tell him to lie down - but it would be much too cold for his furless body.

Zeb was quiet, deciding he ought to just let the man rest. After all, who knew how long it would be until they were found? He watched him for a long time, though. For once, his face was relaxed, despite the slight furrow of the eyebrows - but it was peaceful. It was almost strange to see on the Imperial agent, but...it was definitely a welcome change. Now that he wasn’t trying to kill him, he was almost good-looking. Almost, Zeb added in his mind, ignoring the nausea again as it returned.

But the problem was that Kallus was not exactly stable sitting straight up like that. So when he began to lean towards Zeb, unaware, Zeb panicked. Inhaling sharply, he moved a little so that his back and his shoulder supported Kallus to still sit like he had been. He held his breath, but Kallus made no other move and did not wake.

He let it out quietly, stretching his legs out in front of him as he glanced out of the mouth of the cave. He supposed he’d keep watch, in case those beasts came back.

But soon his eyes got heavy, and the quiet, even breaths coming from Kallus beside him were practically pulling his eyes closed. Zeb supposed it wouldn’t hurt to shut his eyes for a little while. He leaned his head against Kallus’ shoulder, and fell asleep quickly.


	2. Alexsandr Kallus

They’d be woken in the morning by the sound of a ship landing in the distance. Kallus’ first thought was  _ cold _ . His second was  _ kriff. _

Upon them both opening their eyes, looking towards each other, remembering what happened and how they’d gotten so close, they quickly pulled apart. Zeb even added in an elbow, for good measure.

Another shiver ran down his spine, and he hugged his arms closer to his torso. “That’s...a ship,” he murmured, his breath swirling out in front of him.

“Yeah. But whose?” Zeb got up slowly, taking a few steps. Kallus figured he’d leave to go and scout, but the Lasat turned around, offering his hand instead. “Come on.”

Kallus kept his face as blank as possible despite the cold, watching Zeb’s face. He used to find it revolting, but now...there was something about it that was endearing. He had to shake the thought away.

Taking Zeb’s hand, he inhaled sharply, grunting, as he was pulled to his feet, his broken leg screaming with pain even with the makeshift splint. Zeb didn’t seem bothered at all by Kallus’ weight; but then again, he had carried him out of the crater. He knew Lasats were strong, but this…it almost made him want to laugh.

But the pain was a bit too much to handle to laugh. A wave of exhaustion hit him, and quite frankly, the thought of just falling over into Zeb’s arms was at the forefront of his mind. But that wouldn’t exactly be professional, would it?

The rebel ship that had caused him so much trouble in the past came into view, but Kallus was too tired to say anything about it. “Ah. Your friends did find you.”

“Like I said they would.” Zeb didn’t try to mask the pride in his voice. “Ya know…” he turned to look at Kallus, smiling, and the agent felt the cold leave his body for a moment. “We will treat you fairly.”

And a huge part of him wanted to go. To forget the Empire, to make a change, to just continue being with Zeb...but he couldn’t. He couldn’t possibly.

He let out a quiet chuckle that he hoped was convincing, slowly removing Zeb’s arm from around his shoulders, leaning against the wall of the cave heavily instead. “I’ll take my chances...with the Empire.” He paused, then looked back up at him. “Zeb.”

Kallus wondered if he was imagining the fleeting look of disappointment on the Lasat’s face as he stood up straighter, pressing a hand to his fist, closing his eyes. He recognized it as a gesture of respect, and so he stood up a bit straighter, too, doing the same with the meteorite still in hand.

Zeb grinned, and Kallus felt his heart skip a beat. He wanted to say something else, but nothing came to mind, so instead, Zeb walked back to join his friends.

They were all incredibly happy to see him. Kallus stayed in the shadows, clutching the meteorite close to his chest, watching the reunion. He noticed Zeb glance back, but he wouldn’t have been able to see him.

As the  _ Ghost _ pulled into the sky, Kallus leaned forward a bit, watching it leave the atmosphere. And then he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

The Empire never came. They didn’t have enough resources or time to continue looking for him. Kallus was picked up by a passing independent trader, and all the while, the conversation between Zeb and his friends played in his mind. They’d do anything for him.

What would the Empire do for  _ him _ ?

When he returned to the Imperial fleet, he felt exhausted. His leg was reduced to a dull throb now with the help of the trader, but he still had to limp as he walked towards his quarters.

“Admiral Konstantine,” he greeted, maybe a little more forced than usual. Maybe he was just looking for some proof that he had been missed - or at least that they’d known he was gone.

Konstantine glanced up from his datapad, barely holding back an eye roll. “Agent Kallus,” he deadpanned, before continuing on his way.

Kallus blinked, watching him go, frozen in place for a few moments. It was as if Konstantine was annoyed by his return. He felt cold, all over, as if he were back on that moon.

Maybe he’d made a mistake.

When he was finally alone, he glanced around his quarters, then sat on the edge of his bed. He held the meteorite, turning it over in his hand, remembering how he felt when Zeb smiled at him.

Placing it on the shelf, he leaned his elbows forward on his knees.

Kallus had a big problem.

Closing his eyes, he resisted their burn with the unfamiliar sensation of tears. He knew, deep down, he’d never be able to do anything to hurt Zeb now. And that was all the Empire wanted to do. He was a rebel, and rebels had to be destroyed. But he couldn’t.

Maybe it was because he still felt he owed him his life. But with the way his heart ached, he had a feeling it was something more - though he wasn't ready to admit that yet.

Zeb had shown him more kindness in twenty four hours than his colleagues had in years. And he’d never thought much about it, but he realized now that it was because he used to be like  _ them _ . Like Konstantine, like Pryce. Cold and angry. Letting his anger and grief from the past fuel his actions.

Kallus didn’t want to do that anymore. And the thought scared him. The Empire was all he knew, but what if they were wrong?

Despite himself, a tear rolled down his cheek, and he gasped and opened his eyes. He blinked at the empty, bland wall, then shakily grabbed the meteorite; the one source of light, the one source of warmth, and full of memory.

He held it close, shoulders shaking as he held back the tears he’d been holding back for years, remembering what it felt like to be so close to Zeb; and found himself hoping that he’d get to do it again.


End file.
